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“The Death of Sis Draper” by Guy Clark from his album, My Favorite Picture of You.

Those who know me, know I am long-time fan of Guy Clark. His songs are a regular part of my own music shows, festivals, and school programs. “The Death of Sis Draper” is a song on Guy Clark’s new album, My Favorite Picture of You. You can read about that album HERE: I searched the Net for this song and only found another different song (also by Guy Clark) that was about Sis Draper, so I decided to post the lyrics of this song for my musician followers here. It is to the tune of “Shady Grove” and is a powerful song. I transcribed the words from the recording I purchased, so if you find any errors, I’d appreciate your letting me know.

“The Death of Sis Draper” by Guy Clark.

Sis Draper had a guitar player, named Kentucky Sue.
And everywhere ole Sis played, Sue was picking too.
They worked their way from town to town, fiddled their way out west
And every place she blew through they said she was the best.
They played the dances, played the bars, beneath the Western stars.
Sis was getting on in years, She lived it pretty hard.
Burned both ends of the candle
And broke many a heart.

Now out in Old New Mexico
Snowstrom coming on.
They thought they’d just wait it out and play the El Patron
Now some ole gal with coal black eyes
Was in a jealous tiff
She was quite sure her old man was slipping round with Sis.
She was a waitress at the El Patron out on the edge of town.
She poisoned Sis’s whiskey and Sis just drank it down.
Sis started feeling poorly, so she laid her fiddle down.

Out behind the El Patron
They dug a shallow grave.
Laid her down beneath the ground.
The fiddle in the coffin case.
The fiddle in the coffin case.

Kentucky Sue played Shady Grove, on her old beat-up guitar.
Tears rolling down her face, she took it pretty hard.
Now somewhere in the distance, you could hear the mission bells
Some folks go to heaven, some folks go to heaven.
Sis Draper went to Arkansas, that’s all there is to tell.